Since opening its door in 1969, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), Korea has lived through the history of Korean art. In the process, MMCA established itself as a representative institution of Korean modern art.

The museum’s four branches, including Gwacheon (opened in 1986), Deoksugung (opened in 1998), Seoul (opened in 2013), and Cheongju (expected to open in 2015), each in its own way, will continue to carry out MMCA’s commitment to the art and culture of Korea by enriching the first-hand cultural experience of the viewing public.

MMCA Gwacheon

Boasting a superb natural landscape surrounding the site, MMCA Gwacheon will be devoted to various genres of visual arts such as architecture, design, and crafts. Located within a historical site, MMCA Deoksugung will showcase modern art from Korea and overseas. In the heart of the city, MMCA Seoul will focus on introducing global contemporary art. With its upto- date art storage facility, MMCA Cheongju will fulfill the museum’s primary duty to collect, preserve, study, exhibit, and educate. Through its various locations, MMCA intends to function as a cultural platform that encourages communication and cross-pollination of contemporary art with other various disciplines of art, science, and humanities.

MMCA Gwacheon was built in 1986 by architect Kim Tai-soo with respect to the surrounding artificial and natural beauty.

The architecture of the museum expanded the traditional concept of spatial construction to meet the contemporary needs, the result encompassing both the tradition and contemporary sensibilities. The overall design conception takes after the traditional Korean castle fortress and beacon mound. A three-story east wing and a two-story west wing spread out from the beaconshaped spiral ramp at the center of the building.

MMCA Gwacheon boasts a total of nine exhibition spaces – Gallery 1 and 2 (floor 1) are reserved for special Exhibitions, the rest, Gallery 3, 4 (floor 2), Gallery 5, 6 (floor 3) and the Circular Gallery 1, 2 for the viewing the of institution’s permanent collection. Located near the lobby, the Children’s Gallery offers various educational programs.

MMCA Deoksugung

In 1998, the Museum’s Deoksugung site was established in the historical Seokjojeon, the first modern-style architecture to be built in Korea, with the aim to systematize the discourse of Korean modern art and ultimately aid the establishment of a cultural and historical identity.

While the Museum in Gwacheon is more focused on both Korean and international contemporary art, Deoksugung specifically addresses Korean art from the 1900s to the 1960s and modern art from around the world.

MMCA Seoul
MMCA opened a new branch in November 2013 at the heart of Seoul, near Gyeongbokgung.

Considering the characteristics of the site, the construction plan focused on underground expansion and extensive attention to environmental issues, ultimately adopting the madang (yard) concept, which successfully integrated the exterior and interior of the building to the surrounding environment.

The new site also aims to bring up a new discourse on the relationship between the public and the institution in an urban space, opening new possibilities for a future-oriented art museum of the 21st century. The site of the museum embodies a rich, complex history.

During Joseon Dynasty, it served as a site for the national Taoist temple Sogyeokseo, the Office of the Censor-general, the Office of Royal Genealogy, and the palace library Gyujanggak.

During the Japanese colonial period, the site housed the Japanese Army Capital Hospital and Keijo Medical School Hospital. After the Korean War, Seoul National University Hospital, Korean Armed Forces Capital Hospital, and the DSC a military intelligence agency, were once situated in the area. In 1981, Gyeonggeundang and Okcheopdang Pavilions, which were part of the Office of Royal Genealogy, were relocated to the nearby Jeongdok Public Library grounds. In 2008, the building that housed the DSC was designated as Registered Cultural Heritage No. 375. MMCA’s construction plan includes restoring the Office of Royal Genealogy to its original site and preserving the former DSC compound, thereby establishing a meaningful cultural center that embraces the past and present of the site that is at once eclectic, complex, and intriguing.
 

For more information, please visit http://www.mmca.go.kr/eng.
SOURCE: the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Korea

 
 
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